Trial and Error
by KitBashedAviation
Summary: After departing from the adventuring life, and losing at love once more, Miles Prower honestly just wanted a normal mechanics life. Of course, that was far too much to ask, especially with the newly befriended Wave hot on his heels to make his life just a little more interesting. Rated M due to my severe lack of self-control/to be safe.
1. Tails tries to be an adult

**Author's Note: Welcome to my first-publicly released-fanfiction! Just a couple things to begin with! Firstly, this follows the story of Tails from Sonic Adventure, hence him staying at the Mystic Ruins. Since he was 8 then, I compared release dates between the original Sonic Adventure and Sonic Riders, hence the change in age difference between Wave and Tails! Secondly, I'll be mentioning songs and bands through this entire story, these are the songs and bands that have seriously shaped me as a person, not to mention the story itself. Even if Punk Rock ain't your jam, I highly suggest checking some of them out!**

 **With that outta the way, please enjoy!**

* * *

Tails jolted upright in his bed, as a peal of thunder shook his lone workshop to its very foundation. The tears that streaked down the adult fox's cheeks blended in with the sweat across his body. It had been fourteen years since the accident, but the nightmares still came with every storm. His father screaming mayday into the receiver, his mother whispering her love and praise to her small, mutant kit. That terrible storm. That _crash_. His hands were shaking violently as he tried futilely to steady his breathing. Rain pelted at the window beside his bed, when a flash of light caught his eye… Thank God, it was just his phone…

 _IgnisLeaena: Miles, I just saw on the forecast, a storm has just swept over the Mystic Ruins. Are you okay?_

 _KitBashedAviator: thanks blaze, yeah, im fine. the nightmares are back but i can handle them._

 _IgnisLeaena: Even without Cream?_

 _IgnisLeaena: Miles?_

 _IgnisLeaena: I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought it up._

 _He thought about just turning off his phone, but…_

 _KitBashedAviator: no, youre fine, blaze. I gotta get used to that now i guess. We still on to play some games tonight?_

 _IgnisLeaena: Ah, good to hear. Absolutely, at the Hidden Place, correct?_

 _IgnisLeaena has sent an image file. Open it?_

He tapped the open button, smiling at his favorite .gif of Blaze and him dancing to some song. That was back when they were roommates, before he rebuilt his workshop. Before Cream.

 _KitBashedAviator: i really don't say this enough but_

 _KitBashedAviator: thank you, blaze_

 _KitBashedAviator: i dont know where id be without you_

 _IgnisLeaena: Shush._

The vulpine machinist slipped out of his bed, leaving his phone on the charger. He quickly dropped from his loft to the workshop, quickly spinning his famous twin tails to slow his decent. "ALICE, lights please." A short tone was heard, before a flood of light filled the small workshop, "Thanks much, ALICE." He made his way silently to his bathroom, showering himself under the heat of the hot water. He finished washing himself quickly, but stayed under the running water until it ran cold over him. He quickly dressing himself in a pair of ragged jeans, an oil-stained tank top with two yellow fox tails with white tips on it, a gray hoodie, and his iconic white gloves and red shoes. As Miles exited his bathroom, he was greeted by a tall, unhappy looking hologram of a Mobian cat.

"It's 3.45 AM, Miles." She spoke firmly, like a disappointed mother. He assumed.

"Yup, that's correct, I need to start a pot of coffee." He stepped past her, moving to the unfortunately tiny kitchen are, beginning to fiddle with the black appliance in the far corner.

"Would you like to know how many hours you've gotten in the last seven day span? I can bring up your diagnostics for you if you'd like." Normally she wasn't this… Cold.

"Thank you, ALICE, but that won't be necessary. You've seen my medical records, my insomnia's kinda legendary. I can't do anything about it." The machine, now filled with grounds and water, began to slowly heat, as he turned to look her in the eye. "Let me guess… twenty-seven or so?"

The hologram crossed her arms, staring at the inventor with the rage of a hundred stars, "16 hours, Miles. You _need_ to sleep. I can schedule an appointment with a doctor for you if you'd like." She stepped forward, placing a hand on his shoulder. It nearly felt real… Nearly.

"Thank you, ALICE, but… I need to get my work done, or else I won't be able to keep this place up and running… Gimme one more week, and then I'll schedule one, okay?" He flashed her a smile, as he poured himself a mug of coffee. She looked almost sad, before nodding, and fading away. He sighed gently, as he moved to the fridge and pulled out an old box of Chinese food. "Yup… Breakfast of champions… I really need to go to the store soon. Tomorrow."

* * *

KitBashed Aviation and Mechanics Workshop was a little far away from Central City, resting on a plateau near the monorail station at the Mystic Ruins, below Angel Island, but hey, it was home. After the events of his last adventurous outing with the Blue Blur left his former workshop destroyed and his adventurous spirit more than sated for a few lifetimes, Miles Prower decided to put his adventuring life behind him for plain work in its stead. With his own newly rebuilt workshop to take commissions, projects, and paid repairs, he certainly wasn't lacking for work, even this far from the city.

Inside of the workshop was, to the untrained-read: anyone but Miles'-eye, the place made a dump site look like it was a museum. Four different tool chests in various places, their tools scattered across tables and the floor, a kitchenette in the back, directly opposite a small, closed off bathroom, a small 'living room' with a large sofa and a battered TV, and a wooden ladder leading to an incredibly small loft. A desk stood on the right wall, directly beneath a broad window, looking out to the sea, as well as a counter near the front with a battered, old computer nearby. Currently in the center of the workshop was a rusted red truck, with dents the size of Miles all over it.

Miles stood up from his kitchen table, stretched out his back until he heard a series of loud pops and cracks, before he tossed his dishes into the sink. One more chore for today. He climbed back up the ladder to his loft, pulled his phone free from the cable, and looked at his lock screen:

 _VeryDairy32: Tails, I just saw that a storm was going over your house, are you okay? The nightmares aren't back are they?_

 _VeryDairy32: Tails, are you there?_

 _VeryDairy32: I'm sorry for what I did to you, just please tell me you're alright!_

 _VeryDairy32: DX_

 _VeryDairy32: That's it! I'm coming over!_

 _KitBashedAviator: Hey, Cream, sorry, I just finished showering and having some breakfast. I guess ALICE has a few glitches still, she was supposed to let me know whenever I got a new message!_

 _KitBashedAviator: …_

 _KitBashedAviator: Cream, you left your phone at home, didn't you?_

The twin-tailed fox sighed, rubbing his head slowly as he tried to figure out what his next plan of action was. He stepped over to the sign on his front door, switching it from 'Sorry, we're closed' to 'Come in! We're Open!', then unlocked the door. His phone lit up one more time. A smile crawled onto his tired face.

 _GearHead: morning, shorty_

 _KitBashedAviator: isnt it like 3 pm where you are?_

 _GearHead: isnt it like 4 am where you are?_

 _KitBashedAviator: point taken, whats up?_

 _GearHead: talking to some lame mutant before my next race_

 _KitBashedAviator: sounds like a fun guy, the rogues racing together?_

 _GearHead: oh yeah, hes a blast_

 _GearHead: not_

 _KitBashedAviator: how dare you_

 _GearHead: yeah, no, still just racing by myself. storms still on probation, and jet_

 _GearHead: i dont know whats up with jet, i think he may be hiding something from me_

 _KitBashedAviator: inb4 he wants to date you_

 _GearHead: oh god i hope not_

Tails couldn't help but snicker at that.

 _GearHead: sides, im pretty sure he might not be into girls?_

 _KitBashedAviator: wow really I never would have guessed such a shocker omg_

 _GearHead: wow, when did you become a grade a jackass?_

 _KitBashAviator: no, but seriously, he was 100% not interested in rouge and she was putting it all on to try and distract him, so either hes got a steel resolve, or hes just not into chicks_

 _KitBashAviator: oh hey a pun_

 _GearHead: omg do you ever shut up?_

 _GearHead: speakin of which, hows life with lady von far-too-happy_

 _KitBashedAviator: you mean cream?_

 _GearHead: yeah, the rabbit_

 _KitBashedAviator: we broke up a couple days ago_

 _GearHead: what? how? werent you two head over heels for each other?_

 _KitBashedAviator: guess shes just more into charmy_

 _GearHead: wheres that bitch live, you want me to beat the shit outta him shorty?_

 _KitBashedAviator: lol thanks but it's fine, you still planning on dropping by in a few days?_

It was rare for Miles to truly be excited by the idea of someone visiting, but Wave was different. He met Wave when he was fifteen, and she was eighteen. They despised each other, and for a while, he even considered her to be his Arch-Rival. About two years ago, they had reconnected, both older, wiser, less of jackasses. They quickly became digital pen pals of sorts... As dumb as that sounds.

 _KitBashedAviator: i don't want to ruin the surprise, but… i dunno if the nickname shorty still applies to me. might wanna think up some alternatives!_

 _GearHead: absolutely, cant wait to see your workshop and dis all of the trash you call inventions :P_

 _KitBashedAviator: youre such a dork. i gotta head out I need to finish up knuckles' truck or he'll kick my ass into next week. dont die and embarrass me for calling you my friend._

 _GearHead: awww you do care about me you little twerp :heart:_

 _KitBashedAviator: fuck off_

 _KitBashedAviator: but seriously good luck on your race be careful and take a selfie on the podium for me :heart:_

Such a jerk. He shook his head slowly, closed his phone, and picked up his tools. "Hey, ALICE? I know you're mad at me, but could you turn on my usual station?" Another short, trilling tone filled the air, followed by the rough sound of distorted bass, electric guitars, heavy drums, and hard lyrics. The fox began to move to the beat, bobbing his head as he opened the hood and leaned in. Daze N Days, Broadside, NOFX, punk rock was exactly what he needed today. The Space Between by Valencia was on as he began his work, occasionally he would softly sing the lyrics beneath his breath. How much time had passed? It was always hard to tell while he was working. Oil was changed, parts were replaced, rust was scraped off, and paint was re-applied, with a couple too many breaks for him to pretend that his wrench was a mic, jamming out to his favorite songs.

"TAILS?!"

The door to the small workshop was thrown open violently, the tiny bell clanging as it passed. The sudden-and quite loud-intrusion made Miles nearly jump out of his skin, his twin tails nearly doubling in width from the shock. He whipped around, looking at the now very, very confused rabbit. A rain-soaked, yellow dress, a baby blue baseball cap, a pair of white cotton gloves, and running shoes. Cream was panting quietly, staring at the 'genius' in front of her.

"Uh, 'morning, Cream. Y'alright?" He pressed his hand to his chest again, the shock not quite wearing off yet. The rabbit looked around quickly, before her cheeks flushed slowly, "So, I was in the shower while you were messaging me, but you must've left before I could… Y'know, reply. S-Sorry 'bout that." The hand near his chest went up to lightly scratch at his chin, as the awkward atmosphere only thickened around them.

"Oh, uh, well, th-that's good! That you're alright! You are alright, right? What am I talking about, of course you're alright, I'm sorry." Cream began to ramble, her words getting quieter and quieter, as she backed towards the door, "A-Anyway, good to see ya, talk to ya soon… Stay safe and everything." She turned on her heels and rushed out into the rain, slamming the door behind her as she went, making Tails jump yet again.

He needed to set up some sort of electric tone or something, the bell was becoming annoyingly loud for his sensitive ears. He shook his head, and turned his attention back towards his work.

* * *

"Yo, MP!" The door swung open a few hours later, drawing Miles' eyes from the paperwork he was doing to look at the new arrival. A red echidna with a pair of shades on his face, smiling happily, wearing one of the most atrocious looking Hawaiian shirt he had ever seen. His spiked, mitten-esque gloves reached out to give the young fox a hug.

"Heya, Knux! How ya doing, how's Rouge?" Miles stood up, he saw him maybe two weeks ago already, but with the lives that his friends live, any time he got to see them was a blessing.

"So, ya heard, huh?" The Emerald Guardian stood back, rubbing the back of his head happily, "She's doing good, I think she's happier about the ring than marrying me! How about you, ya hanging in there?"

The tired inventor shrugged, "I mean, if you're asking if I'm still feeding myself, than the answer is technically yes?" A loud tone and a red light fills the small workshop, causing him to sigh loudly, "I am fine, ALICE. Man, she must be going through a rebellious phase, she's been-" Another deep tone and red light, "... Really? God, how did you get _this_ sarcastic?"

" _I have no idea._ " The echidna rolled his eyes, before catching the death glare from his former teammate, "Come on, Miles, I'm just pulling your leg. She's an _AI_ , how much of a phase can she go through?"

"Well, she originally tried killing me."

"She what?"

"Never mind, hey, Knux, you came to check on your truck, right? Just finished it up this morning!" The aviator quickly switched subjects, trying his best to redirect the short-tempered freedom fighter towards his vehicle, "Just needed to futz around with the engine a bit, everything should be working far better now. I changed the oil, replaced the brakes, patched and re-inflated the tires, worked off the rust, and now it should last you another five or six years!"

"Man! You've been busy! Well, it's good to hear that, but what's going to be the damage this time? And don't give me any of that 'Personal Friend' Discount bull, I'll pay full price."

"19,800 rings."

"So what was that about a Personal Friend Discount?" The mutant choked back a chuckle, placing his closed fist over his mouth to disguise it as a cough.

"W-With the discount, it'd be 13,200 rings. There were a couple of parts I needed to either special order from my machinist buddy, or had to personally mill to fit, which means the engine is now one of a kind, a Prower custom!"

Seemingly happier with that price, but only marginally, the echidna reached into the breast pocket of his Hawaiian shirt, and retrieved a small, metal disc. Miles gestured to a receiver of sorts on the counter, wired directly to the computer. Knuckles placed the disc on the metal platform, as his former companion tapped away at the computer, "Okey dokey, you're all good, the funds have been transferred! Thank you for choosing KitBash Aviation and Mechanics!"

They continued talking for a few more minutes, before something caught Knuckles' eye. Halfway through one of Miles' customer stories, he pointed to a rack to the side of the workshop, "Whoa, are those our old Extreme Gears?" He strode over quickly, and plucked his old board from the wall, "The Red Rock, the Blue Star, the Yellow Tail… Wait, what's this one?" He looked to an unpainted, prototype board just below the Yellow Tail.

The mechanic spun around in his swivel chair, then stood and walked over, "That… Is the prototype Type-W-MP Custom. I took some data from our last few races with them, and compiled a rough idea what Wave's Type-W board was like. This is my attempt to improve on what is, quite frankly, an ingenious design…"

"Wave? Wave… Oh! That punk of a mechanic the Babylon Rogues had? Her board wasn't that great! Why try fixing up that one?"

"Not fix, reimagine. I thought it would make a good gift for her once she gets here," Miles shrugged, before crossing his arms in front of him, "She won't be able to bring her gear with her on the plane, so I'm hoping that'll be enough for her to look past any 'glaring mechanical atrocities' I've probably done." The fox chuckled, feeling he encapsulated his friend's response quite well, but Knuckles wasn't laughing.

"Once she gets here? Not allowed on the plane? Miles Prower…" Uh oh. "Did you INVITE a member of the BABYLON ROGUES, a team of known CRIMINALS AND THIEVES, to our CITY?" His grip tightened around the Red Rock, straining and denting the metal plating.

"I, uh… H-Hey, she's turned her life around! She's been competing in legit races, and apparently she hasn't seen hide nor hair from Storm or Jet in a while! B-Besides, it's not like she'll be loose in Central City! She'll mostly just be here in my workshop!" The-currently terrified-mutant tried to calm his friend down gently.

"And _HOW_ , pray tell, do you know that? Hm? What, you been talking to her since our last meet up?"

"No! We only really started talking to each other like… Two years ago!"

The echidna sighed, as he placed his entire face in the palm of his hand, "Tails… You're incredibly smart, but man… It's equally humbling to see how dense you are." He pulled his hand from his face, and tossed Miles the gear, "I gotta get home, don't be an idiot, and don't let her play you. You're a grown man now, you can handle it."

* * *

That was about what the fox assumed would happen if his friends found out about Wave and him. The only one he had actually told was Blaze, do to her not really having any heavy emotions one way or another for the swallow. As Knuckles drove off, Miles muttered insults beneath his breath. It was about time for him to close up shop and head to Blaze and his' favorite game store, the Hidden Place. Before he did, he flipped his phone back on to shoot her a text, when he saw a few notifications.

 _IgneasLeaena: I'm very sorry, Miles, but we'll have to reschedule. I've run into an old friend, and she is begging me to go and catch up with her. I hope you understand._

Well, that was one less thing for him to do tonight, honestly, he was pretty pleased about this. He loved hanging out with Blaze, but he wasn't terribly great at board games, and sometimes the fiery princess could get… Competitive.

 _GearHead has sent you an image file. Open it?_

 _GearHead: for my biggest fan_

 _GearHead: see ya soon shorty_

 _GearHead: im heading to bed, dont stare too long shorty :heart:_

He tapped the file, revealing a picture of the violet swallow smirking, the camera held at a high angle. She was on a pedestal, a golden medal resting on top of her chest. Two mobians are standing on the pedestal as well, though lower than the engineer, one bearing a medal of silver, the other bronze. He caught himself staring at the bird's image, his eyes slowly caressed the edge of his friend's form… He closed his phone, the tips of his ears burning hot. They decided fairly early on into their digital friendship that they wouldn't send each other pictures of themselves, mostly due to both of them still wanting to surprise the other.

"Oh man... She's going to ruin me, isn't she?"

He stepped inside and looked at himself in the mirror. Now standing at 6'1", Miles looked almost entirely different than he was when they had met last. His jaw was strong, his hair longer, massive dark bags hung beneath his blue, bloodshot eyes. Lanky, tall, yellow… He was one bad slouch away from being called a banana.

"Maybe I should go to the gym… DAMMIT, MY LAUNDRY!"


	2. Wave tries to be a normal friend

**Hey! KitBash here again! I'm more than likely never going to update this quickly again, but I had this like, half written when I published Chapter 1! Thank you so much to everyone who has read, and especially to SaturnNights and the anonymous guest who left such wonderful reviews! I'll try my best to keep this interesting, and worth your time, thank you so much for taking a chance on me!**

* * *

" _Having a sweet dream?" Wave stretched in the bed, before wrapping her feathered arms around her companion. Strong, tall, handsome, his claws sharp against her bare back, the gentle grazing of a razor sharp canine against her neck, those big fluffy tails… Tails? As her eyes traveled across his fuzzy, muscular, yellow body, a mixture of disgust and excitement filled her. Suddenly, rather loud clatter jolted through her._

"Ugh, what? Huh?" The groggy bird rubbed her eyes, almost completely forgetting about whatever her dream she just had was. She stretched slightly, before looking around. She was still in the Westopolis airport. She watched as two wolves near her were bickering, one of them seemed to have dropped their rather heavy, metal briefcase. Nearby, she saw a human family trying their damnedest to not stare at her. Oh, man, was she talking in her sleep again? Well, good thing she never had to see them again. She quickly picked up her bags and headed to a different sitting area, only to see her flight on a nearby screen flip from 'Delayed' to 'Boarding'.

In her drowsiness, everything became a blurry mess. The swallow vaguely remembered boarding the passenger jet, before openly groaning at the fact that the exact same family was sat just on the other side of the aisle. Seated near the back of the plane, she was thankful to say that she got all three seats to herself, a rarity that Wave so very much enjoyed. After take off, she was allowed to turn her phone back on, just in time to see that yellow bastard appear online.

 _KitBashAviator: yo wave im guessin your flight got delayed?_

 _GearHead: yup, why? got there early in hopes of sweeping me off my feet?_

 _KitBashAviator: if i didn't know any better id say that youd actually want me to!_

 _GearHead: awww, youre not very smart, are you?_

 _KitBashAviator: bite me_

 _KitBashAviator: hey i think i found a track you may actually like_

 _KitBashAviator sent a sound file. Play it?_

She hesitated for just a second, before pulling her headphones from her bag and plugging them into the jack.

 _KitBashAviator: i found these guys a while ago_

 _KitBashAviator: theyre super good plus theyre indie rock so i know youll like em too_

 _KitBashAviator: theyre called the rentals_

As she pressed play, the sound of gently rolling wind filled the speakers, before a man began to gently sing, " _I don't think, I'll find the love I want, the love I'm searching for, in this machine, oh…"_

Then came the vocalizations, and she didn't want to admit it, but… Shorty found her something beautiful.

The synthesizer was equal parts weird and good, the lead vocals were clear, focused, and passionate, and the violins in the quiet sections sent shivers down her back… And as she closed her eyes, bobbing her head to the sorcerous sounds, she couldn't quite get all of her earlier dream out of her head. This was clearly a love song, hell, it was called The Love I'm Searching For! Was he… No, the fox liked to think that he understood everything, but he was pretty damn dense.

Wave hit replay, and closed her eyes.

 _The purple avian didn't know when it happened, but eventually, she drifted to sleep. She found herself sitting up in a small bed, staring across the room at a gentleman cooking something, whistling as he did. She pulled herself free from the confines of the bed, sauntering over and running the tips of her fingers through his short fur, "Mmm… What's for breakfast?"_

 _The man turned, a small smirk across his stern face, softly chuckling, before responding in a very feminine voice,_ "Ma'am, please turn your phone off, we'll be descending shortly."

Her eyes drifted open gingerly, then her look turned to a sour glower towards the stewardess who had just woke her up. The Swallow turned off her phone, unplugged her headphones and haphazardly tossed them into the bag beside her. _Even in her dreams she couldn't get any. How_ sad _is that?_

* * *

The landing went as smoothly as the jet-lagged athlete could have hoped, and disembarking was less of a hassle than she imagined. Bags claimed, coffee acquired, now to find that twerp. The realization that the violet bird had no idea what he looked like now hit her like a wave, causing a deep, audible sigh of aggravation. Her eyes scanned the crowd, hoping to see some sort of sign of the fox. The engineer finally saw a hastily handmade sign with her name on it, held by…

Well, if she was going to be honest, the only similarity to her dream was the height. Sure, he was taller now, but only by a handful of inches! It was hard to tell under his canvas jacket, black hoodie, and band t-shirt, but she could surmise that he wasn't Adonis under there. The bird's eyes set on his, and she didn't know why she was surprised… The dark circles beneath his eyes hung low, the irises were bloodshot… He looked so, so tired. As he pulled the corners of his mouth up into an awkward grin, she noticed he had something tucked behind his back. "Long time, no see, birdbrain."

"Birdbrain? Really? You've had nearly three years since the last Grand Prix to think of a good insult, and you hit me with birdbrain?" The fox rolled his eyes, as the shorter swallow stepped forward and hugged him, "Good to see you in the flesh again, dork."

He gently patted her on the back with the sign, before breaking the hug, "Good to see you, too, Wave. Oh, so, partially because I knew you couldn't bring your gear, partially to congratulate you on the stellar win the other night, and partially to wish you a very happy belated birthday… I, uh, built you this."

Miles pulled the Extreme Gear out from behind him, and… It looked like her Type-W? Like, exactly like her Type-W! Wave took it from him, looked it over slowly, cataloged every deviation from her home design, before realizing it was a sort of blend between the Type-W and his improved Yellow Tail design. "Miles, this is…"

Here it came…

"This is incredible! Seriously, I'm stunned! have you been working on more Extreme Gears?"

"... What?" The avian looked at the confused, flustered mobian with her own air of confusion. "Oh, uh, y-yeah, Extreme Gear are starting to take off here in Central City. A lot of people come to my workshop to get work down, perks of being in the Grand Prix, I guess. Sorry, I was just caught off-guard, that's the first time you didn't insult my tech!"

"Oh, well, we'll see how it flies, but I've got high hopes for it!" Wave's hand shot up, jabbing him in the chest as her eyes narrowed, "And it better not be a disappointment. What do you call this thing?"

Miles swallowed hard, before speaking, "Uh, I was going with the Type-W-MP Custom, but it's a bit of a mouthful."

"What about the Type-M?"

"Huh. The Type-M. Yeah, I like it! How did I not think about that?"

"Because you were too distracted by making something super neat to bother with the important bits, as usual. Dweeb."

The groan that her companion gave out made her giggle, it was almost like she was on the Zeppelin with the rest of the Rogues! Wave couldn't believe this was the same twerp that she fought against for so long! He used to be so awkward and cringy around her, but now he had a retort for each shot, he spoke with confidence… Most of the time. She watched him reach up and rub the bridge of his muzzle, close to his eyes, before letting her gaze drift over the punk rock pilot.

"Anyway, as much as I adore Extreme Gear riding, I figured you'd have a couple bags, so I brought my car. Come on, it's right over here. Lemme get those bags for ya." Why was her heart beating so fast? She watched him grab her bags, hefting them surprisingly easily, before marching off towards the parking garage. "Hey, so, did you enjoy that song I sent you? The Rentals are sooo rad, and The Love I'm Searching For is by far my favorite song by them!"

"I loved it, oh my god! You hit the nail on the head this time, how did you know I'd like it?"

The mutant loaded the bags into the back of a heavily battered van, before he moved to the passenger side and opened the door for her, "I was going through old footage of our races and I saw you had a couple different shirts and jackets from various bands. Ladies first." _Seriously, what fucking need is there for him to be this… Charming?_

She got in and clicked the radio on as he walked to the other side, not in the least bit surprised that the last thing he was listening to was a punk song. Everything You Want Me To Be by Coldfront? Oh, this was so _edgy_. "So, what, Shadow got you some CDs?" She couldn't stop herself from mocking him, as he got into the vehicle.

"Oh, ha ha… Actually, I discovered this by myself…" He started the van, or at least tried to. He let the engine turn over a few times, before it finally roared to life, and they headed out of the city.

* * *

He clicked the lock button maybe a half dozen times after they unloaded everything, the beeping of the van becoming tiring very quickly, "Well, here we are. Home, sweet work. KitBashed Aviation and Mechanics." He pulled his glove off and placed his paw against a small scanner. A pleasant tone played, and an artificial voice spoke as the door clicked open.

"Identified: Miles Prower; Owner and Creator. Welcome home, Miles."

"Thank you very much, ALICE. Good to be home." He swung the door open, and gestured for Wave to step in. It was so… Clean. The tool drawers were pressed to one side, the counter had a couple of neatly stacked reams of forms and papers. She could see a small kitchenette in the back right of the hanger, a bathroom on the back left, a couch and a few folding chairs in front of a television on the right-hand wall, opposite a wooden ladder that lead to a small loft-like area, directly above a rack of Extreme Gears and extra parts. Beside his small entertainment area was a neatly organized desk, beneath a window looking out over the beautiful sea. In the center of the workshop was a garish pink car. So pink. Waaay too pink. This car could only be owned by _one_ person. Before she could speak out against the mechanical atrocity in front of her, a pale blue cat constructed itself right in front of the avian engineer. "Wave, this is ALICE. She's the Artificial Intelligence I created to help me with just about everything I do."

"Oh, so this is Wave? I recognize her from the photo you were looking at last night and this morning."

Miles could _feel_ Wave's smug eyes lock onto him. How long had he been clenching his teeth? This was a _terrible_ idea. "ALICE! Thank you! Could you give Wave access to this facility while I show her where she'll be staying? And feel free to stop lying to guests whenever!"

"Absolutely, sir. It is wonderful to meet you, Wave the Swallow, I do so hope we get along." The look of pride on ALICE's face bore ill news for her creator.

The cheeriness in Wave's voice only put the cautious inventor's nerves even further on edge, "Oh, I feel like we'll get along _fabulously_ , ALICE."

"Cool! Awesome! Wonderful! Great! Follow me, leave your bags where ever!" The fox could feel the two conspiring and that brought no end of terror into his already anxiety-stricken heart. He stepped to the wooden ladder, placed one foot on the first rung, then sprung himself up onto the second floor with a swift rotation of his massive tails. If Wave didn't know any better, she'd think he was running away from her… Amazing how the air of confidence shattered when she was the one with the upper hand. She reached the top, and found exactly what she was expecting, Tails' bedroom. "You'll be staying up here, I set up this folding screen so if I get up early to do some work, you won't wake up from the lights. I, uh, dunno when you usually wake up, so I aired on the side of caution."

There was a few moments of silence, before Wave spoke, "Last night _and_ this morning~?" She almost sang the words.

"Cool! So, enjoy the room, I'm going to go hang myself in the bathroom, it was chill seeing you again!" The tip of the fox's ears were bright red as he turned on his heels and returned to the first floor. He grabbed one of the rolling tool chests, dragged it over to the car, and popped the hood.

"Awww! If you weren't such a nerd, that would actually be super sweet, but you are, so it's _hilarious!_ "

* * *

Amy Rose had totally forgot to tell her friend about one of the issues with her car, but it was becoming increasingly irritating to contact him without her phone on hand. She _needed_ a new one soon, or she was going to kill someone. She hiked her way up from the monorail station to her friend's workshop. She opened the door, before speaking up, "Miles! I forgot to tell you, my horn's been a little…" Her words stopped as she looked between the fox and the swallow, "... Weak."

"Oh, Heya, Ames. Weak horn? Hmm… Gotcha, I'll see what I can do." He seemed to have been having a conversation with… With… WAVE.

"Miles. What's Wave doing here?"

"Dude, did you seriously tell no one I was staying here?"

"Yes, I told no one, because if I told them, then I would get _this_ response."

" _Miles, she's staying here?!"_ Her voice rose to an unpleasantly high pitch, especially for the the poor tod.

"Ames. Ow. My ears. Yes. We've been messaging each other back and forth for about two years, and we finally had a little while where there was nothing on our schedules. So, I invited her over so we could _finally_ just hang out like normal people." It was amazing how he could just drop into that confident persona when explaining something he's thought over meticulously, and by the look on Amy's face, he had made sense to her.

"Okay, okay, but is Cream okay with this?" The pink hedgehog asked benignly, but immediately begged silently to shovel the words back into her mouth, as the confident smile faded to a bitter frown.

"We're… Not together any more. Don't worry, it's no one's fault but mine." He tried desperately to hide the pain, and smile for his friends. She seemed to look better afterwards, "See? I'm good! Now, you said that-?"

"I'm sorry, but I still can't get over it. _Wave?_ I'm sorry, but don't you remember how she insulted all your stuff?"

"To be fair, it was absolute garbage." The purple swallow chimed in, trying to get under the other woman's skin, and boy did it work!

"I've made feats of engineering that blow my old inventions out of the water. I doubt I could have if she didn't. She gave me the drive to prove her smartass wrong." Her jaw dropped in feign horror, as he jabbed a thumb in her direction. "NOW. The horn. The transmission. The muffler. Any other problems?"

Amy thought for a few moments, before slowly shaking her head, "Not that I can think of, thanks, again. I'm sorry, Wave, but... You can understand how protective I can be of my friends. So, what are you two planning on doing tonight?"

"I was thinking we'd take her new gear out for a spin through the forest, we'd come back here, order some food, and then… I dunno, games or a movie probably?" The fox shrugged, his fingers deftly flicking through his toolbox, "Honestly, it comes down to what Wave wants to do."

"Well, it's obvious what _she_ wants to do." Wave's eyes rapidly shifted focus from Miles to glare at the hedgehog, who's aggressive expression was now one of sly understanding, how long had she been watching her? "Well… Either way, have a good night, you two!"

* * *

Amy Rose, feeling rather victorious over the racer, happily strode down the ramp, listening to the muffled laugh of both of them. "Tails and Wave, huh? What a wild world…" She softly giggled, walking to the monorail and boarding in near silence. As she zipped her way back to the city, she noticed a banner on the screen of one of the news panels. "A thunderstorm heading towards the Mystic Ruins? Yikes, hope Miles' prepares for it… What am I thinking? The kid's smarter than any of us, of course he knows." She smiled and began thinking about what to make for dinner.

The pair in the workshop talked for hours and hours. Oblivious to their growling stomachs, to the rapidly darkening sky, to the clocks, to their phones. As they told each other good night, they couldn't help but smile, and hug each other tightly. Wave grabbed her things, and brought them to the loft, as the mutant fox laid himself down on the couch, pulling the thin, extra blanket he had over himself.

Wave pulled the folding screen to obscure herself, then quickly changed into her pajamas. She crawled into bed and pulled the sheets over herself. It smelled like him. She wasn't fully certain if that was a weird thing or not, but nevertheless, every breath in, felt like she was pressed against the fox. Another deep breath in, a slow exhale, another breath, another exhale, and the bird was out like a light.

The dream came back, and she couldn't help but smile in her sleep. Miles, however, started to shake, the distant sound of thunder... The storm was drawing closer. He could already hear it beginning.

 _"Mayday, mayday! This is Amadeus Prower of the Twister Three! We're going down!"_


	3. Tails tries to sleep

**Howdy folks! It's your good friend KitBash! Sweet lord, nearly 600 views?! You have no idea how happy I am to hear how much people all around the world are enjoying my work! Sorry that it's been a while since my last update, it's getting to be the holiday season here in the States, and my day job is sucking up more and more of my free time!**

 **Anyway, this chapter will be a tad bit more somber, but it's going to get better from here, though I do want to know something! I have been thinking for a while about throwing some more action-y elements into this, so would people like to see this develop as a pure romance fic, or a romance/action one? Please feel free to send me a PM with any feedback or a response to any of the questions I put here!**

 **Once again, thank you all so much, and I hope you enjoy this chapter**

* * *

" _Dammit! This is Amadeus Prower of the Twister Three! Our plane has been struck by lightning! We've lost the engine! Respond! Mayday, mayday!"_

" _Mommy and Daddy will always love you, Miles… You'll always be our special little boy…" His mother leaned in and kissed his forehead, tears mixing in with the vicious rain._

" _Mayday! Mayday! May-!"_

 _KER-KOOOW!_

The two-tailed fox jumped to a start, his shirt soaked through with sweat, the pounding of his heart shook his body … God, they had gotten so much clearer. He rubbed the tears from his eyes, and stood up slowly, his legs quaking beneath him. He could see his phone flashing… He reached over and held the power button down until the phone shut itself down.

"Miles…?"

He turned, regarding the AI who had slowly materialized behind him. He looked terrible. Truly, truly terrible. His face was pale, the claws on his paws were extended, his pupils dilated.

"You _need_ to sleep." ALICE was afraid… She was getting more and more lifelike by the day. He fought against his shallow panting and gave her a weak chuckle, followed by crooked smile to make her feel at least put at ease. Of course, it didn't.

"... I know… I just… I-I need some tea or some-" His voice died in his throat as another roll of thunder filled the air. "S-Something." He moved from his couch and wandered to the kitchen, lights still off to avoid waking his new guest. Miles soon found the cold dampness on his chest and back keeping the crash fresh in his mind. He pulled the shirt up and over his head, leaving it on the ground as he heated up his water. Rain was pelting the windows rapidly, rapping on the glass like little fingers of water, clawing to get closer. His mind couldn't fight back as it drifted to Chaos; he began to tremble again.

His shaking hands deftly poured the boiling water into a small mug with 'Engineer of the year*' scrawled on the side of it. Blaze bought him this mug after he accidentally set himself on fire with his welder. On the bottom it read, '*If you ignore the last four explosions'. He used this mug every single day. A treasured possession from their time as roommates.

He sat the tea bag in the hot water to let it steep, and leaned against the counter, before he heard Wave adjust in her bed. ALICE faded away, as the bird slid the partition to the side, and climbed down the ladder. A massive t-shirt for the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and sweatpants… Helluva set of pajamas. Wave wandered over to him, "... Storm wake you up?" Her voice was slurred with drowziness, but the words still came across.

Miles opened his mouth, but yet another clash of thunder filled the air, as he began shivering once again, "...Don't worry, I'll be fine. I just need some-" He was cut off by the bird slowly wrapping her arms around him, resting her head gently onto his furred chest.

"It's going to be okay." Miles froze. She smelled like strawberries and oil, her violet feathers were so damn soft, it was like being hugged by a pillow. It felt good. It felt… Right. "Everything will be fine." The fox could feel his pounding heart slow down considerably, his shaking easing to a standstill, his breathing becoming less and less labored. She pulled back, still rather groggy, but smiling quietly, "Feel better?"

"I… Thanks, Wave… I feel better." And for once, when he said those three words, he meant every one of them. "I'm sorry about waking you up, you want some tea?" The violet engineer smiled and nodded, eyes closed, and apparently done talking. The fox poured another mug of chamomile tea for her. They were silent, the storm passing over head over the course of an hour. When the rain stopped, Wave simply nodded her head, then returned to her loft.

"That was incredible." ALICE whispered, reappearing beside her creator. She watched him stare up at the once again concealed room, a look of confusion still on his face.

"Yeah. Incredible."

* * *

Wave wasn't terribly certain what it was that woke her up. Maybe it was the smell of breakfast coming from the kitchen downstairs, perhaps it was Miles singing another punk song to himself as he moved to and fro, or it could have been the soft sunlight filtering through the window. Well, nothing to be done, she was awake now. She crawled downstairs, still in her pajamas, though sporting her orange sunglasses as she came down now. The fox turned to her and smiled sweetly, seemingly full of energy.

"Good morning, Wave. I was just making some pancakes for us, it'll be a few minutes though. The shower's open if ya wanna do that in the meantime. Oh, I moved your suitcase full of clothes and amenities into the bathroom, just so you don't have to try climbing the ladder naked." He chuckled quietly, taking a sip of his coffee. Was he drinking it black? Doesn't really seem like the type for black coffee… The avian nodded, before looking around, then glaring daggers at him.

"There aren't any cameras in there, are there?"

"The fact that you think so lowly of me makes me fear that the Rogues made you put up with that."

"You didn't say no."

"No, I did not install _cameras_ in my _bathroom_!" The fox rolled his eyes, accompanied by a rather aggressive sigh, "Seriously… Now, go take your damn shower while I make you breakfast." Maybe Shadow rubbed off on him _a little bit._

Seemingly satisfied, Wave turned on her heels, heading for the bathroom. Now came the worst part of staying somewhere new. Trying to use their shower. After a little investigation, she got the showerhead on, and Miles couldn't stop himself from smiling as she shrieked. Frantically, she managed to change the water from ice cold to a near perfect level of warmth. A pleased sigh rolled through her, as the water soaked deep into the feathers, helping to wash away all the tiredness and the grim of flying in a passenger plane from her body.

She stepped out of the shower afterwards, patted herself dry, and put on a set of clean clothes. A pair of bell-bottom jeans, a black-and-pink tank top, as well as her classic bandana and sunglasses. The avian noted that not only were her clothes in her, but so were Miles'. The kid had… A lot of band merch. _I guess kid doesn't fit anymore either… I mean, he's twenty now._ Wave tapped her finger on her beak, before yanking one of his thicker looking canvas jackets from it's hanger. _Days n Daze, huh? It's a little chilly out, he won't mind._

Miles had just set out a stack of pancakes at the table, and a small glass bottle of syrup beside it, just as Wave exited the bathroom. He looked up and could have sworn that everything moved in slow motion. She was wearing his jacket. She was _wearing_ his _Days n Daze jacket._ It had taken Cream close to a year before she was comfortable accepting the _idea_ of wearing his clothes! "Wow, uh, that jacket looks really good on you!"

"You sound surprised. I look good in absolutely everything!" The bird grinned, placing a feathered hand on her hip, "You have a ridiculous number of band clothes, you know that? It looks like a Hot Topic in there. Oh! I should have checked for eyeliner!"

"Oh, ha ha ha, excuse me for supporting things I like. Sit, eat, be merry or some shit. Coffee?" The athlete shook her head before the fox sat down across from where he sat her food, picked up one of the various gadgets that littered the table and began to fiddle with it. A metal box with straps on each end to secure it to a wrist or forearm, some sort of small, triangular claw poking out what Wave could only imagine was the front. On the opposite side of the straps was another, smaller box, though this seemed to be more of a…Miniature, elongated projecture?

"What's that?" Miles looked up at his companion, smiling. His greased-stained tank top accentuating the small amount of muscle definition that he'd built up, a small tuft of thick, yellow fur erupting from the deep collar. He was one backwards cap and protein shake away from looking like a real douche. The mutant strapped the device onto his arm as he began to explain.

"So, although I don't do that whole adventuring thing anymore, keeping track of multiple electronics at once, and manipulating the data on them is still a thing I gotta do. It's honestly kind of a pain to have to walk between five computers to make sure all my tests are going alright. So, I made this!"

He pointed his arm towards the desktop tower on the other side of the hanger, pressing down on a small button as he did. The claw fired out, a thin wire connecting to it, as it clamped onto the computer. He flicked his wrist, and the smaller box projected a display of sorts over his forearm. The vulpine genius pressed his gloved finger to the projection, and began to scroll. "I used the hardlight tech that I built into the floors here that ALICE uses to make a touch screen to let me look at whatever I need, whenever or wherever I need it, and when I'm done all I have to do is disengage the magnetic locking mechanism and tap the winch!" He closed the hardlight screen, tapped a button on the side of the bracer, and gave the machine a smack, sending the winch into gear. Miles looked so proud, right up until that small metal claw whipped him square in the forehead, "FUCK!"

"Pfft… Holy shit… Are you okay?"

"Just eat your damn breakfast…"

* * *

"Wave, hold on, for fucks sake, I need a jacket!"

"You need a jacket? Look at you, your fur's so thick, you'll probably overheat in a _tanktop._ "

"My fur is not that thick, I just need a trim."

"You need a pair of shears!"

"Go fuck yourself." The Fox grumbled loudly, pulling on a flannel jacket. With his Yellowtail in hand, he stepped outside, joining his companion, who was intensely studying her new board. "Alright. Ready to go?"

"This is such a weird board, it looks like my Type W, but there's just some parts that seem… Odd." The Swallow's brow knitted together as she now took a closer look at the Type M. This was weird, it looked like a plane had been disassembled, the reassembled to look like her extreme gear, not to mention there was a part that seemed to have no purpose… Some sort of, secondary compressor? An engine?

"Don't worry about it. Like I said, it was a prototype and a testing platform." Miles tossed the Yellowtail in front of himself, before he jumped onto it, and stuffed his hands into his pockets. "New power sources, new uses for various parts of the machine, reworks of less ideally shaped areas… That sorta stuff."

Wave followed suit, boarded her new gear, smiling to herself as it rocked in just the same way as her Type W. "Sounds fair enough, I guess. Come to any conclusions?"

"Yeah, an extreme gear that uses a combustion system instead of air is-surprise, surprise-prone to exploding." A warm smile flashed across his face as he heard his friend snort out a laugh. "Let's go for a once around the forest, ey? Give you a chance to get used to handling the—" The fur around his neck and face suddenly pressed against himself, as the air from the Type M blasting off struck the fox like a shockwave. "...Board." _Alright, that makes sense for her. Now, let's see if I've still got it in me to keep up._

The mutant leaned forward, as he stomped on the pedal in the back. Air blasted through the intake, then from the rear port, and propelled the gear and rider upon their chosen path. The feeling never felt better, as the slightly chilled air nipped at his neck and cheeks, chasing that line of magenta blazing across the circumference of the ancient forest. He felt happy, giddy… Alive. It didn't take him long to draft off of the speedster and come up beside her. She said something that he couldn't quite make out. Miles watched as she gave him a devious smile, before pushing the board even harder. Both racers barely clung to a ridge, as they just narrowly skirted the edge of the cliff, but neither seemed to care. They couldn't hear each other, but it was almost like they didn't need to. The push, the pull, this dance was familiar. Time warped, twisted and bent, and harmless moments of laughing across the mountainous island drifted to hours. The high noon sun was replaced almost instantly with the orange and pinks of the last rays of sun dancing across the waves.

They had stopped, to watch the sun sink below, both panting quietly, as they readjusted to not having to fight the air itself to breathe. Although, something didn't quite feel right. Miles' eyebrows knitted together, as a sense of dread washed over him. "Yo, kid, you okay?" His eyes switched to Wave, the swallow who was moments away from leaning her head on his shoulder was now just as worried as he was. "You look like you've seen a ghost or something."

Then it clicked. His body tightened a little as he slowly stood up.

"No, no… I'm fine. Hey, why don't you head back, write down a few things that I can work on, alright? I just remembered that I needed to go pick something up." The fox scooped up his board, mounted it in one clean motion, and headed straight into the jungle.

* * *

 _Need to pick something up my ass, where the hell are you going, Shorty?_ Wave followed at a good distance, still able to see the trail left by the genius as he pushed even deeper into the rapidly darkening forest. It seemed like they were traveling for hours. A sense of fear began tugging at her being, before she saw the young engineer get off of his gear.

The scene… Wasn't good. The remains of an old, wrecked plane, rust and blood covering the metal plates. _The Twister Three_ was scrawled across it, but the paint was worn, and the metal warped. Right beside it, two small crosses over slight bulges in the ground. It was hard to make out the words on each, but honestly? She didn't need to read them. Tails spoke quietly, his voice slightly broken as he knelt down.

"Hey, Mom… Hey, Dad… I'm sorry it's been a while. The store's been busy, and I actually have a guest in the Workshop now. Her name is Wave, and… Well… She's amazing." He paused, before resting his head in his hands, "Why am I doing this? You can't hear me… I should get back… Goodbye, I love you." Miles walked back to his board, rubbing a gloved hand underneath his nose, kicked it into gear, and rocketed onward toward the workshop.

The workshop that Wave was supposed to be at.

 _Oh! Oh, fuck!_ She grabbed her Type M, and begin to try and recall the path out of the forest. When she finally got out, she was bruised lightly, twigs stuck into her clothes and feathers. Just in time to catch up with her host, who was giving her a quizzical look. "I tried to cut through the forest. I thought it would be faster."

"Oh, yikes, yeah, not a great idea. Here, you can use the shower first, I'll order us some pizza or something." He seemed honestly concerned for her, as he took the Type M from her, as well as hold the door open. The bird stepped through, before the words he said in the clearing clicked with her. He thinks _she's_ amazing. "Uh, are you alright? You're feathers are sorta… Puffing out?"

" _Can it, dork._ "

"Just saying, just saying…"


	4. Wave tries to end the fic

**Heya, Folks! It's KitBashed! Jokes on you, I'm not dead yet!**

 **Sorry about the delay on this new chapter, The Holidays were compounded with some relatives coming up from outta state for a while, as well as my sister returning to our household has made for a hectic and busy season!**

 **Also, before I forget, HOLY SHIT, 1200 VIEWS? Seriously, from the bottom of my heart, thank you all! I was astonished when another person wanted to read the stories I wrote, let alone over a thousand! I'll try my best to publish a new chapter every month, as well as maybe write some smaller stuff in between chapters! Either way, enjoy the fic!**

"Fall Out Boy isn't punk rock."

"I'm telling you, they're _suuuper_ punk rock."

"They're not punk rock, they're pop punk."

Tails throws his hands into the air, tossing the controller as Wave's character passes the finish line. She lets out a small huff of superiority before she spoke again, "Oh, right, because that's such a huge difference." Miles leaned back, stretching as stared daggers at the end screen, which displayed the avatar of the swallow gloating over her victory, and his wallowing in lose, yet a-fucking-gain.

"Look, you're the one who wanted to discuss genres. Alright, wanna switch games? I'm getting a little tired of having my ass beaten fifteen times in a row." The fox stood up slowly, stepping to the various boxed pizzas they had ordered. It wasn't exactly good, but hey, it was hot and cheap. "Or maybe watch a movie or something? I've got all my DVD's in the box underneath the TV."

Wave set her controller down, before beginning to imitate a young child throwing a tantrum, "Waa, waa, I'm itty bitty Miles and I suck at racing games and Wave is so much cooler and better than me, waaa!" As she turned to catch his reaction, all that stupid fox could come up with was a shrug. Now it was just getting irritating. She stood up and knelt down next to the entertainment center. She pulled the box out and… Holy shit, this dweeb literally only watches rom-coms and chick flix. "Dude, what the fuck is this movie taste?"

"Most of those are Sonic and Blaze's, I don't often watch movies."

"Betcha watch this one a whole lot!"

The fox took a drink of his soda slowly, narrowing his eyes, as he tried to make out what it was. He choked loudly, slammed the can on the counter as he quickly covered his mouth. He could hear the swallow cackle over the… Sensitive material. "Uh… That, uh, that's Sonic's, I swear!"

" _Oh, I'm certain it is._ " The words slid from her beak slowly, as she popped open the case and examined the disc, "Let's see… Ooo, interspecies stuff? _What harm is there in watching a few minutes of it, eh?_ " A blur of yellow streaked by, snagging the case out of the woman's hand, chucking it into the depths of his desk.

"Oh, shucks, would you look at that? Wonder where it went, no one will ever be able to dig that out, oh well, I guess we'll never have to talk about this ever again, right? Right, great, lovely. Wanna go for another race?" Wave couldn't help but smile as she watched the flustered tod try to keep calm when he obviously wasn't.

"I thought you'd never ask!" The swallow beamed proudly, picking the controller up and beginning to set things up. But… Something tugged at her a bit. She looked at the blushing fox and felt… Sad? No, not quite… Pity? Not quite. "Hey, Miles?"

The fox plucked his controller up off the floor, not even looking at her as he responded, attempting to get the unfortunately floor-bound object back into a working condition again, "That's my name."

"When I was cutting through the… No. I can't lie to you. Miles, I followed you into the jungle. What… What happened to your parents?" She regretted this. She regretted asking that question more than anything she had ever done. Watching that distant look in his eyes sharpen, and watching him seem to relive those moments again… She felt terrible. "Forget it, I'm sorry, that was really shitty of me."

"You're fine. They died. Really early." Her eyes were locked on him, as he continued to work on the game controller. He worked the stick back and forth, trying to pop it back into the socket, it looked like it was all he could do to stop himself from crying. "My Mother was an Aircraft Engineer, and my Father was a renowned pilot. At least, that's what I'm told. I was real young when we tried to escape the initial rise of Robotnik's army. I remember our house being in flames as we flew away… We flew all the way here, when a storm rolled in. Lightning struck the plane. My dad did his best. I was the only one to survive the crash." The stick finally popped into its slot, as Miles heaved out a heavy sigh. Wave was stunned, enough to not notice as he began to stand, not listening to his follow up, only seeing a battered, broken kit. "I, uh, I think I should head to bed, it's kinda late."

As he began to step away, the bird made her decision. She sprung to her feet, and grabbed his hand. Miles paused, and turned in time to see her begin to drag him to the kitchen. Routing around for a moment, she found exactly what she suspected. A bottle of whisky. He was a bachelor, of course he had alcohol sprinkled around the place. One quick flick of a finger, and the cap spun up and off it's threaded base. She poured two healthy glasses for them, despite the protests of her host, then downed hers almost instantly, before 'helping' Miles with his.

"Fuck me, that's strong." The mutant muttered, polishing off his third glass of the burning liquor, smiling to himself as a pleasant buzz purred in the back of his skull. The athlete had already looted the rest of his secret stores of alcohol, smiling happily with them all displayed on the table, eagerly pouring another drink straight into his glass, "Aw, thanks, Wavey!"

The swallow snorted, chuckles filling the air, before she poured the last of it down her throat, "You looked like you could use a little loosening up! Wavey… Heh, I think I like that!" She smiled, her hands absentmindedly uncorking a rather expensive bottle of gin, "Ooo… Where did you get _this_ one?"

"Oh, that was… Was… Uh, Oh, Mayor Anderson, he gave that to me on my eighteenth birthday. Great guy, too bad he sucked at keeping his city safe. But hey, I got gin out of the deal, and that? That puts a big 'gin' on my face!" The fox could barely finish his story, as he began to sputter and laugh at his own joke. Once his giggling subsided, if only briefly, he drained his glass again. The very loud groan out of Wave's mouth only caused him to lose it even more. She poured a healthy glass of gin now, feeling her consciousness peel back. She could feel herself slowly losing control, but… He looked so happy. The racer smiled, before tipping back her glass.

"Get up!"

"Wh-what?" Miles stared at the bird, as she leaped from her seat at the table, and quickly moving to the center of the workshop, getting the various tool chests and miscellaneous parts to the side, leaving it wide open.

"ALICE? Play some music!"

"Playing 'baseball' by 'Hippo Campus', enjoy." As the beat began, Wave began to slowly rock back and forth, her hips swaying with her, her arms up over his head. Miles shuffled over, still slightly confused. Until she stepped up to him, and wrapped her arms around his neck.

Wave relinquished the lead to the awkward tod. "I, uh, I've never actually danced before…" His hands rested on her waist, as they moved in an odd sort of synchronization, a push and pull of drunken feelings.

"Well, I guess that makes, two of us." She smiled kindly, before pausing. Wave began to lean in, she could just barely feel his breath on her beak. They were just so close...

The scream of the doorbell was enough to break the bird from her less-than-restful sleep. She sat up from the floor, scratched her back, then stumbled to the door. The locks pulled away with little work, before Wave pulled the door open. The light streamed in, caused her to wince, and forced her to wait for things to drift into focus. A black hedgehog stood on the step, red streaks flowing through his quills. Dressed in a mostly tan suit, a tweed jacket, and a pair of wire-framed glasses balanced on his nose. After that… A group of children? The hedgehog had an odd expression, a blend of smugness, confusion, and disappointment, though that may just be Shadow's resting appearance. Suddenly coming to the realization that something was seriously wrong, she slammed the door closed.

Across the room, a groan rang out as Miles began to come to, face down on the hardwood floor. ALICE had materialized, beginning to fix the workshop up as her creator struggled to his feet, his hand pressed to his head firmly. "Ugh… What… The fuuuuck? Be gentle to my doors… Why am I so thirsty?" The shirtless fox sat up, rubbing his eyes. His narrowed eyes scanned the room, finding a slightly panicking Wave wearing his shirt. "Why… Why are you wearing my shirt?"

"Shadow's outside! Why is Shadow here?!"

"Where are your pants?"

"Focus here, dweeb. Shadow's here with a bunch of children. Why the _fuck_ is Shadow here with children?"

The genius stood there processing this information slowly, before he sprang into action, hurling curses even the swallow didn't know as he began to get ready.

The door to the mechanic's house flew open again, this time a smiling, properly dressed Miles Prower was there. "Heeey, kids! Sorry about the delay! We, uh, were working on a project all night, and it got the best of us, come on in!" The engineer stepped aside, as the class of Mobians stepped into the workshop.

Shadow was the last one in, his eyebrow cocked at his friend, smugness dripping from his every expression, "Well. Good morning, Mr. Prowler… Restful night? I do hope you didn't forget about the field trip today."

"It really isn't like that, Shadow, we just sorta had a few drinks and-"

"Yes, yes, I know this story well, trust me." The black hedgehog stepped past him, the exasperated fox in hot pursuit. "Now, children, please do not touch anything. Mr. Prowler here is a personal friend of mine, and I know well enough most of the things in this place are explosive."

"H-Hey, that was one time, you're being incredibly dramatic!" Miles cleared his voice, and began to speak in a calm, clear voice, "Howdy, folks! My name is Miles Prower, I'm a mechanical engineer, programmer, inventor, aerospace engineer, pilot, as well as a former member of Team Sonic. You may have known me by my nickname, Tails." The kids nod along, looking around the workshop, interested in… Not him, apparently. One of the children raises their hand quickly, causing the inventor to smile, "Oh, lovely, a question! Yes, what's your question?"

"Do you live here?"

"Oh, yes, actually! I've lived and worked on this plot of land as long as I can remember, building gadgets, gear, and goodies for myself, my friends, and even for profit!"

Another hand shot up, "Who's the bird who was here?"

"Ah, yes, that's another dear friend of mine, her name is Wave the Swallow, a truly amazing Extreme Gear racer, and an even better engineer!" As if on queue, Wave stepped out of their bathroom, dressed to impress in a pear of overalls, a bright orange KitBash Aviation T-Shirt, as well as her signature glasses on top of a backwards snapback. "Ah, speak of the devil, and she doth appear!"

"Is she your girlfriend?"

The swallow snorted as the tips of her host's ears burned a deep red, "Ah, no, she's just a friend who's in town for-"

"Why are your ears red?"

"Well, I-" Tails began to flounder, the fur on his tails standing up as the assault of questions came at him like a wave.

"Your tails are really poofy!"

"Please, just one at a-"

"Have you asked her out? I bet she'd say yes!"

"Children." A single stern word from the hedgehog ended the torment of the poor fox. Shadow's attention once again turned to Miles, "Mr. Prower, why don't you show the kids one of your recent projects? It may help the children understand exactly what you do."

Broken, exhausted, and hungover, the fox simply gulped, nodded, and took a deep breath. As he did, he felt the soft, gloved hand of his bird friend on his shoulder, causing him to tense up, "No worries, dweeb, I'll save ya some pizza. Hey, once y'all are done with this nerd's scrap piles, I can show ya how an Extreme Gear works."

"Hey, what are you calling a junk pile?" Miles shook his head aggressively, smiling again, "ALICE, are you there? Now, kids, I can't show you any of my current projects, due to some very pesky health and safety codes, as well as a half dozen contracts that would ruin me if I did. But, I CAN show you my personal assistant, one of the few things in the world that reminds me that I need to do various things to live. This is my Artificial Intelligence, or AI, named ALICE." On command, the digitized form of the Mobian cat took form, stunning and delighting the children.

"So, what is she doing here?" The two former roommates leaned over the railing of Miles's home, looking out across the Mystic Ruins. Wave was down the steps on the plateau, showing the kids how an extreme gear worked at a very basic level.

"We've been friends for a few years, we hadn't seen each other, and our schedules were tight. This was the only time we could meet up." Miles smiled, watching her gesture with the screwdriver, like it was simply an extension of her arm. "It's been pretty great so far, I was going to bring her into the city proper to show off The Hidden Place later today."

"I see… So, how long have you been in love with her?" The hedgehog smirked to himself, before he looked to his companion, and his smugness fell away. The fox was staring down at her, silent, his eyes more sunken and sad than he ever looked.

"I don't know. But… I know she'll be gone in a handful of days… I wish I could stop time, and just live like this forever…"

"I'm certain if you ask her, she'll stay." Shadow placed a hand on his shoulder, but Miles could only shake his head.

"She's a racer. She lives for it. I've never seen her happier than when she talks about racing… If I ask her to stay, I'm asking her to give all of that up. I can't. I can't tell her anything. I'll just have to deal with it." The so called ultimate lifeform went quiet, merely rubbing his friends shoulder to try and comfort him. The sky was just so beautiful.

"I wish I had an answer for you, but… Bottling emotions never help, they only make things worse." Shadow straightened his back, and called to the kids. Their time was up. They yelled their thanks to the two engineers, and made their way back to the tram.

She knew he had to know. He had to right? She's such an idiot… What was she thinking? She'd get them both drunk and they'd just magically be together? God, so dumb! The swallow slowly climbed up the steps, eyes locked on the fox, still leaning on the railing. What was he thinking about? Wave sighed quietly, she'd give anything to know what that enigmatic dipshit had on his mind… "Hey, dweeb, whatcha starin' at?" He rolled his neck, sending out a series of cracks and crackles that sent shivers up her spine. He pushed himself off the railing, and began walking towards the steps down.

"I'm getting a little tired of being cooped up all day in the workshop… Wanna hit the town? See if there's something fun happening?" The smile on Miles' face was genuine, but it was obvious this wasn't what he was thinking about. She returned the smile eagerly, thinking quickly of something snide to say back.

"Ah, great! I was wondering when you were gonna start trying to parade me around!"

"Heh, you sound a little eager to be shown off, maybe you actually do want to be mine?"

Yes. Please, yes. God, yes. "Pft… As if, nerd." Wave's cheeks burned red as her words were twisted, she still wasn't used to this new quick-witted fox boy. He let out another chuckle, before walking past her.

"Come on, I'll pay for your ticket."


	5. Tails and Wave try their best

**Despite a broken leg and a tripling of my day job hours, I'm still alive, and so is this fic. Please enjoy, and hopefully it won't be quite so long until my next installment!**

* * *

"Miles."

The Fox was jolted from his daze, taking his surroundings in quickly. One of the few things that he actually appreciated from his time adventuring, was his ability to now take stock of things in an instant. They were at the Hidden Place, his usual gaming store. It was decorated rather minimally, using mostly wooden and plaster as material, keeping a worn, but warm and clean impression on their patrons. Speaking of which, there were few this evening, besides Blaze, who was apparently waiting for someone.

Wave was in the corner with Blaze, the two chatting idly as they perused the bookshelves of role playing games. They seemed to be having quite a bit of fun, from the laughs and smiles he could see. A strong contrast from the expression of the hyena across from him.

Holiday was a freedom fighter, akin to Miles and his friends, though he played more of a supporting role than a frontline fighter. That was the past, now, he was lazily glaring at the fox, chin resting in one paw, and a hand of cards in the other. The store belonged to him, opened up a little after their last-and final, as it would seem-fight against Eggman.

Miles coughed, "Uh, sorry, is it my turn?"

"No, Miles, I'm still in my first main phase, I'm casting a spell. You have had priority for like, eight months, ya gonna counter it or what?" The fox flipped through his own hand, before he flashed a counterspell, causing his opponent to throw his arms up aggressively, crying to the heavens, "Why do I even bother trying to play Magic anymore?"

Blaze spoke up from the back, "Miles, please don't make Holiday give up on the game. I wanted to make him do that." The groan from the hyena was something to behold, but nevertheless made Miles feel slightly bad.

"Right, sorry, how about we play one more game with my new white deck? It's nicer. Ish." The mutant chuckled nervously as Holiday glared at him, before he sat back down and rolled for first player.

* * *

"I swear to whatever is up there, Prower, the next time you play that white deck, your head's going through that window." The suppressed rage boiled beneath the shopkeeper's normally composed voice. The group laughed, and Wave couldn't help but feel like she was back with the Rogues. She smiled, looking between the faces slowly, resting her gaze on each a little longer than last.

By now, the sun had set, and the hyena-Holiday?-was locking the store's doors. Their little gathering was waiting outside patiently: Her, Holiday, Blaze, a lemur named Tangle who arrived late, and Miles. He looked genuinely happy, talking in a slower, more measured tone, adopting the persona of someone far more suave than the dweeb could ever be. "So, what's the plan now?" The swallow piped up, hoping there would be more than just this for their night on the town.

The lemur spoke first, excited and eager, "Well, we usually finish games here, then head down to the karaoke bar a few blocks down! It's a tradition!" She planted her free hand heroically on her waist, the other still firmly in the grasp of the cat woman to her side.

"Not me, I've got a place to be and miniatures to paint, but have fun, y'all." Holiday waved his hand to the group, before making his way down the street. Miles must have found something odd about that from the expression on his face, but whatever it was, it didn't seem like he dwelled on it long.

"Night, Holiday. Ames and Shadow will be meeting us there, so we probably shouldn't shit about for too long." Miles always seemed so… Different, in front of his friends. There was no trace of the nightmare inflicted man from before, nor the blushing mess from this morning. His hands were shoved deep into his jacket pockets, as the cold of the night began to settle in… She only had two days left. Only two more days with him.

If only he could come with her.

He glanced to her, and his expression sombered a bit, _I guess he knows too._ His hand silently slipped from his jacket, to around Wave's shoulders, pulling the swallow against his warm body, as the group stepped through the darkness towards their next destination.

* * *

"Miles, Wave! I heard all about that morning you two had, sounds like an awful lot of fun~!" The near-gloating, sing-songy pitch in Amy's words ground at the fox's ears. Though they had just stepped into the warm bar, he found himself wanting to pull the racer closer to himself. Instead, he opted to take his arm off of her, and shove it back into his pocket. She was probably incredibly grateful for that.

"Yeah," his voice rolled between his canines, showing a friendly smile, even as the daggers he glared dug into the hedgehog, "it was really wild, but the kids had a fun time, learned a lot of… Well, mostly bullshit, but not wholly untruthful bullshit."

Shadow chuckled, his hand resting on the pink hedgehog's waist, "Indeed, they had a wonderful time, though I doubt better than yours."

"Yeah, no, the hangover was way too killer to have any fun, really." Wave brushed a feather from her eyes, taking up her usual stance of defiance. The inventor glanced to her and could only sigh and shake his head, before making his way to their usual room.

"So, I knew we were going to have more people today, so you should all thank me deeply, seeing as I sprung to get the entire catalogue, instead of only a couple genres! Which means, yes, Miles, you can do your emo music." Their usual room was very clearly well-used. It was one of their larger rooms. One long sectional sofa starting from the corner left of the door, and wrapping around the corner of the opposite wall, ending maybe a foot and a half away from the stage.

Miles slumped into his usual spot, sighing loudly, as he heard Shadow and Wave try to suppress their laughter, "Punk and emo are— Ya know what? Never mind, we're good, thank you, Ames." She smiled, this time, genuinely, the kind of smile that could brighten anyone's day. That made the tired fox nervous.

"Hey! Sorry we're late, traffic was killer the entire way!" Miles could recognize that voice anywhere. Hand-in-hand, a tall bee walked in with cream, smiling and loudly talking, and Amy's smile went from genuine to apologetic. Cream looked to Miles, and then to Charmy, who went fairly quickly from over-enthusiastic to scared shitless, "Oh, uh, h-hey! Miles! Amy didn't tell us you'd be here!"

Another rolling sigh, he felt like he aged four years on the spot, but grudges will only make him feel older and older. "Howdy Cream, Charmy. Pull up a seat, you're not late at all. In fact, you're just in time for us to decide who gets to go first!" The fox pulled his lips into a smile, trying his best to make it seem as unthreatening as possible. Wave was glaring at them, and for a moment, Miles worried she'd rip them apart, before she huffed at the couple and sat next to him. The selection process was a tradition held up mostly by Ames and Knux, but it did give him time to steady his heart and his breathing. He felt his phone vibrate, before he pulled it out and checked his new message.

 _GearHead: thats the little fucker?_

 _KitBashedAviator: a little on the nose there, wave, but yeah, thats the fucker_

 _GearHead: o right, sorry_

 _GearHead: want me to fuck him up?_

 _KitBashedAviator: nah, ive had my fill of roomies fucking him up_

Wave let out an audible snicker, drawing the rooms attention to the two of them. Immediately, Wave raised a hand in apology, but that could do little to cull the smile from her beak.

"Aaaaanyway! I suggest that we start with… Charmy!" Amy gestured to him, and the insectoid leapt to his feet, "Any suggestions for him?"

Without hesitation, Miles spoke, "How about Jesse's Girl?" Still staring at his phone, it took awhile for him to realize that everyone was staring at him again, "What? Look, the only way this becomes less awkward is if we make jokes about it." The mutant shrugged, which seemed to calm Charmy a good deal. He nodded to Amy, and the song began to play.

* * *

 _GearHead: HOLY FUCK IS HE DONE YET_

 _KitBashedAviator: calm down i can feel you shaking in anger, its not that big of a deal_

 _GearHead: GET ON THE STAGE AND SING OR I BREAK YOUR LEG_

 _KitBashedAviator: are you so angry that youre using the shift key instead of caps lock_

 _KitBashedAviator: fine if itll make you stop rage chatting._

Amy stood up, clapping with everyone else after the bee's _fifth_ song, the look of a woman whose plan is falling apart plastered to her face, "Alright, thank you, Charmy, thank you! Now, who's next up?" Miles nodded slowly, before getting up onto his feet, "Miles? Alright, show us what you've got!"

The fox cracked his fingers loudly, as he begins to think through the catalogue, before getting settled on one of them. "Because I get no end of shit from _one_ of you over my usual choice of music, I'll start with one that isn't punk as all fuck. This is Stay the Night by Jukebox the Ghost."

After a moment, the sound of a piano fills their room as Miles grabbed ahold of the mic, bringing it up to his lips as he sang. Lord knows he's not great at singing, but he knew music, how to control his voice, how to get the most of each note.

"No, We're not getting any younger. I'm coming over, I'm coming over. Stare at the napkin with your number. I'm coming over, I'm coming over." Wave felt her foot tapping in time, eyes fixed on the performing engineer. He looked like he belonged there, on the stage, for all to see… Or maybe just her? Yeah, she liked that plan better. As she glanced to the side, Cream looked happy, maybe she's hearing the same thing as her? _She better fucking not, she had her chance..._

"Walking, draw close. Before, we know it. Kissing goodbye… But I really wanna stay the night, night, night! But I really wanna stay the night, night with you… And I think you really want me to." And just with a small glance to her at that moment, there was no doubt in her mind that he was singing to her, and holy hell did she love it! The song went on, only ever increasing in passion as the piano was joined by a solid drum beat, and then the rest of the band. The punk rock fox really was getting into it, holding the mic tightly, tipping the stand forward with him, as he poured his heart and soul into the performance. The light glinted off his canines, his eyes were squeezed shut, and the heel of his left foot pounded into the floor of the bar. As the song came to an end, he let out a loud whoop, before shaking his arms gently, "Man, nearly forgot how good this feels! Alright, let's go, one more! Uh… How about, Bang the Doldrums by Fall Out Boy?"

* * *

Amy smiled and bowed to applause after her third song, before she began flipping through the selection again, "Alright, now, I'm really excited for thi-" A sudden loud ring came from her jacket, and the hedgehog bolted for it, pulling out an uncharacteristically bland grey flip phone. "This is Rose. What? Speak slower for fucks sake, Holiday!" Her expression soon dropped again, before speaking loudly into the receiver, "Holiday, get the station running _NOW_ , mobilize the militia, and send them to the beach. Start the air raid sirens." And without another word, she slammed the phone closed, and spun on her heels.

"An Egg Carrier has been sighted off the coast, and is sending large quantities of robots. For now, they seem recycled, but they are still dangerous. Militia members, get ready for war, civilians, please evacuate to a nearby shelter." She turned and rushed for the door, followed quickly by Shadow, Blaze, and Tangle, as Charmy and Cream hunkered down in each other's arms. Wave began moving to the door, before feeling a hand grip her wrist tightly.

"Wave, we gotta get back to my place, it isn't safe here." Miles knew he was already going to have to beg her to not go, and that fact alone made him certain he couldn't stop her.

"And what? Hide? Nah, I'm done living in the shadows. I'm done being a rogue, it's time to be a hero. Be safe, I expect a reward when I get back." She smiled, and he fell even harder for her, "I promise I'll be back." Before slipping from his grasp and chasing after the group.

And left him behind.

Alone.

Just like everyone else.

"M-Miles?" Cream's trembling voice snapped him out of his stupor, as he looked over at them. Took a deep breath, puffed his chest out a bit, stood a little taller, squared his shoulders, then cracked his neck from side to side.

"Y'all should help others get to safe areas… I've got something I need to take care of." He lifted his wrist to his mouth, and spoke through the transceiver, "ALICE, prep Project T-22-42, I'll be there shortly." He reached into his jacket, pulling out another prototype, a compressed Air Gear. A quick snap of his wrist, a gust of wind, and the Gear was deployed, and the yellow blur vanished from the bar and began making his way back to Angel Island.

* * *

It didn't take much time for Wave to reach the frontline with them, trailing only slightly behind, cresting a hill just in time to see a wave of mechanical soldiers crash into the automated defenses they had. The pink hedgehog noticed the bird approach, before pulling a small sub-machine gun from beneath her coat. Had she not just been listening to her sing various songs from children's musicals, Wave would have assumed this was her end. The racer reached out and picked up the firearm.

"That was a gift, if you break it, you're getting me another one. Stay safe, stay in contact, and don't shoot at us, please." Amy spoke quickly, putting an ear piece on Wave's head, before giving her a belt with multiple clips attached to it.

"Roger that, commander." The fact that she wasn't using sarcasm was really starting to make her doubt if she was still sane, but nevertheless, she began suiting up. The others were already on the field. Rouge had arrived with Knuckles and a small squad of GUN soldiers, giving some covering fire as Knuckles led the militia into combat a ways away. Each heavy punch was enough to collapse the robots on top of each other. Nearby, a strange turquoise aura seemed to wrap around a few, as they lifted into the air, a white hedgehog stepped over the hill, with a… Wolf? Maybe? They were cloaked in clothing whoever they were, and packing some heat as they lifted a heavy-looking rifle and punching holes in the immobilized bots.

By this point, Amy was marching down the hill, barking orders as squads of militia members opened fire. As one of the robots charged in, she pulled her signature hammer from her jacket and sent it careening into low orbit. Blaze and Tangle were on the opposite side of the beach from the GUN soldiers, a hail of fur and flames creating a scar in the ranks. And then there was her. Still standing where she was, ammunition and ordnance whizzing past her. What the ever living fuck was she doing? Why were her legs moving? She began jogging down the hill, gun in both hands. She found a target, it seemed distracted by a jammed weapon, and no one was paying any attention to it. The swallow squeezed the trigger, and winced as the kickback pounded into her shoulder. A burst of holes appeared in the hull of the automaton, jolts of electricity showering out alongside sparks of malfunctioning machinery. It filled her stomach with knots of fear and dread, but also clouded her mind with adrenaline. She turned on her heels, hearing another bot charge, squeezing off another burst of ammunition, disabling it. She could get used to this!

"All units, be advised! Aerial units coming in, get to ground!" The static dancing across the Hyena's voice made it barely recognizable, but nevertheless, she hit the deck, right before a spray of fire riddled the space she occupied. The light of the sun was fading fast, she could only barely make out what these things were. It was as if the removed the standard bots limbs, and replaced it with a rudimentary hover system, a small Gatling gun, and a pair of structurally useless wings. Perfect. Amy's voice came over the comms suddenly, "Holiday, what happened to our turrets?!"

When had they shut off? It could be a malfunction or… A sapper, to ensure the flight units closed the gap silently. The bird cursed vividly, before flipping on her mic, "They must have something shutting down the system, where's the main power line?"

"Far end of the beach, by Tangle and Blaze. Yeah, it looks like all the energy is being drained out of it!" Holiday spoke as calmly as a radio operator in a war zone could be.

"Amy, can you get the militia to give me some covering fire?" Wave lifted the sub machine gun, firing three bursts, before finally striking the bot in the flight unit, causing it to plummet. "Aim for the backs or the bottoms of the flyers, those things are just begging to get busted!"

Even at this distance the racer could hear Commander Rose shouting orders to her troops, before chiming in, "Will give you what we can, Wave. Just don't get hurt, I don't need Miles pissed at me." With the go ahead, the swallow leapt from her prone position into a dead sprint, dodging and weaving to the best of her abilities. A gash here, a bruise there, a grazing shot, as foe and friend fought tooth and nail for any amount of ground they could manage. A burning wave washed past her, melting robots and sand into molten steel and glass.

"We have your back, Miss Wave, you have naught to worry about." The princess' eyes radiated flames, as she gently hovered above the battlefield. It was amazing… Beautiful, even. Why was her mouth dry? Wave nodded quickly, moving past, throwing rounds down range into the invaders, as more flames erupted behind her. It didn't take long to find the main power spire, and more importantly, the slightly-larger-than-what-she-imagined robot. She stood at maybe a fourth it's height, but she could already tell she had the advantage. Her foot sprang off the beach, sending her into a low sprint, before she leveled her new weapon and pumped the rest of her clip into it's leg. It swung around, detaching from the spire, and spelling doom for it's comrades, as the automated defense system roared back to life. Her ear filled with cheering as she whipped around behind it, quickly scaling up it's back, and loading another clip into her gun. The armor was far thicker than the others, but she could still see that the main port was almost entirely unarmored. She lodged the tip of her barrel into it, and held the trigger down until the monstrosity seized. The thing went limp, knocking Wave off of it's back, landing with a dirty combat roll. She felt so, fucking, cool.

"All units be advised! Unidentified Aerial Unit closing in fast, hails going unanswered! Turning defense systems and opening fire in three! Two! O—!" Holiday's voice cut to static, before a familiar voice took over the line.

"Your encryptions are worse than your Magic decks, Holiday! This is Miles Prower in the Tornado mark four, Militia members, hit the deck!"

* * *

Miles let the muscle memory fly, as he surveyed the scene, a thick, metal flight mask covered his face, the lenses helping to keep the allies and enemies separate. He squeezed the trigger of his flight stick and reveled in the sensation, as the heavy guns rocked the ship, and obliterated the eggbots. ALICE's scan finished soon after, leaving a few useful notes on his heads up display. The fox clicked his tongue against the rough of his mouth, before opening communications again, "Found the control module, it's buried pretty fucking deep in that ship!"

"What's your plan then?" Wave spoke calmly, but all Miles could hear was the relief in her voice… It really sucked that he had to do this to her.

"Y'all slow down the assault, ALICE will be playing Air Support, and I'm going to go on board, scout out this module, and disable it. Wish me luck!" By the time Wave began to yell at him, ALICE went in for the roll. The glass canopy disengaged, and the twin tailed tinkerer dropped to the deck of the ship. It was quiet. Way too quiet. His ear twitched suddenly, he wouldn't learn anything from standing around. He pulled a pistol from his belt, and a small shock stick from beneath his bomber jacket.

Whoever was home, wanted him here.


End file.
